Hidden Colors
by CodeBleach
Summary: AU - Kurosaki Ichigo, a young doctor, experiences an event that sucks the color out of his life. Will his world always be dull or will the colors reveal themselves?


A/N: Hello all! This is a one-shot that I have had in my head for awhile now. If a lot of people like it I may add another chapter. Sorry if the pacing is not to your liking, but that is how it came out. I hope you enjoy reading this.

Disclaimer – I own nothing in the BLEACH series. Please contact Tite Kubo for ownership questions.

Words in ' ' are thoughts.

I use the 24 hour world clock.

Hidden Colors

Karakura Town

An orange haired man was staggering along a deserted street. He is dressed in jeans and a short-sleeved blue shirt with the kanji for University of Tokyo, School of Medicine logo on it. His amber eyes are glazed over and his face is red all over. Many thoughts were running through his head and they were all distorted. Finally, the man reached a familiar looking home. He stumbled to the door. Raising his hand he pressed at the wall to the right of the door many times. He sees 5 different buttons and kept pressing the wrong one. He kept trying until he pressed the doorbell and held it down. Soon a light came on and the door was opened.

"Who could it be at this hour? It is very late you know!" exclaimed the man while opening the door.

The man looked at the person who rung his doorbell and gasped. "Ichigo?"

The now identified Ichigo took a look at the man in the doorway. The man had dark hair with an unshaven face. No doubt about it. This man is Kurosaki Isshin, Ichigo's father. Isshin is dressed in pajamas. It is apparent that the man was sleeping before answering the door, but Ichigo is not sober enough to comprehend that.

"Ol-old man. I-I am n-not g-go-good e-enough." With that said Ichigo collapsed in the doorway at his father's feet.

"Ichigo! What happened to you?" The young man's father quickly bent down and picked his son up, hefting him over his shoulder.

"My boy, you have gotten a lot heavier," grunted Isshin. The older man, as quietly as possible, walked up the stairs to a closed door with the number 15 on it. He opened the door to his son's room and stepped in. Carefully, Isshin put his 20-years young son in his bed. He studied Ichigo's face for a bit, noting the red on the young man's face. Isshin sighed and decided that he would talk to his son tomorrow since Ichigo is dead asleep. The 45-year old man left his son's room, closing the door and went to his own room to sleep.

Sunlight filtered through curtains and hit an orange haired man's eyes. The man groaned and moved his arm over his eyes. Ichigo became aware of his head throbbing in pain as he opened his eyes. He took in his surroundings with his blurred vision.

'My head hurts so dam much. What the hell happened? Where am I anyway?'

Ichigo blinked to clear his vision. He looked around his surroundings again and realized that he was in his room at his dad's house. Memories of yesterday ran through his mind. Ichigo clenched his fists as he became angry, but the pounding in his head distracts him. He realizes that he is still in the same clothes he changed into after getting off his shift at Karakura General Hospital. Ichigo decided to get up and get rid of the pain in his head. Reaching into his pockets he pulls his phone, keys, wallet, and a small black box out and places them on his nightstand.

After brushing his teeth and showering, Ichigo went back into his room. He got out an old grey shirt, jeans, blue boxers, and put them on. He grabbed his phone, wallet, and keys leaving the box there. Then, Ichigo went downstairs to find a remedy for his headache. Walking into the kitchen he saw his younger twin sisters, Karin and Yuzu, and his father at the table eating breakfast. His twin sisters are 16-year old high school students. The three noticed Ichigo walk into the kitchen with a hand in his hair.

"Ichi-nii, what are you doing back here?" asked the dark-haired twin Karin.

"Onii-chan, sit and eat some breakfast. I will get a plate for you," said the lighter-haired twin Yuzu.

Ichigo grunted in confirmation as he went to the medicine cabinet. Opening it, Ichigo rummaged for a bottle of pills that would take care of his headache. He found the bottle he was looking for, took two pills out, put the bottle back, and went to another cabinet to get a glass. Yuzu handed her brother one after she got his plate. While Yuzu scooped rice and chicken onto her brother's plate, Ichigo went to the refrigerator. He opened the door and took out the cold tea. After filling half his glass with tea, he popped the pills in his mouth and drank the tea. A few moments passed and Ichigo began to feel a bit better. He went to the table and sat in an empty seat across from his sisters. Yuzu placed a plate full of food in front of her brother.

"So, Ichigo, mind telling us what you were doing ringing the doorbell at 1:00 this morning?" asked Isshin.

At the question the events of yesterday ran through Ichigo's mind again. He began to get angry again and slammed a fist on the table.

"Onii-chan, calm down." Yuzu's eyes began to get all teary. She hated seeing her brother angry or violent.

"Calm down Ichi-nii. You are getting Yuzu upset." Karin had put her chopsticks down.

"Right, ok." Ichigo took a deep breathe to calm himself down. The anger is still there though, but it is at bay. "After I got off work yesterday I went to meet her. My shift ended earlier than I thought it would. So I thought I would surprise my girlfriend and visit her at her workplace. I reached the street where the office building is. As I reached the corner I heard Tatsuki yelling. I was about to run over there and help her out, but what she said next made me freeze in place."

_(Flashback)_

"_How could you do this to Ichigo? How long has this been going on?"_

_Ichigo peeked around the corner and saw Arisawa Tatsuki standing at the entrance to the building looking extremely angry. Tatsuki is a close friend of Ichigo's. She is a proud, strong woman with black, spiky hair. He noticed that Tatsuki is yelling at his girlfriend and a guy he thought he would never see again, especially around his girlfriend._

"_Wait Tatsuki. I can explain," began a dark-haired woman._

"_No! There are no excuses for this! I saw what you two were doing just now! You and I are his childhood friends! We are his best friends! You are dating him! How could you cheat on him? Why are you with this guy again?" yelled Tatsuki, pointing at the black-haired haired guy in front of her._

"_Tatsuki, I-I..."_

_(Flashback end)_

"I didn't stay there after that. I didn't want to hear the rest of what they were talking about. I was so angry. I had to get away from there or I would have lost control of myself. I ran without any destination in mind. I ended up in front of a bar and decided to go in there. I wanted to forget what I just saw, so I drank. I don't remember how much I drank, but I was in there a long time. Sometime after 23:00 I think, I left the bar and made my way back here. I guess I subconsciously came back here."

Ichigo finished his story while looking at his plate. He hadn't touched any of his breakfast yet. He was livid at the beginning of the story, but as he kept telling it the anger gave way to hurt and betrayal. Ichigo picked up his chopsticks and began eating his food.

"Onii-chan! That is horrible! I can't believe that happened to you."

"Ichi-nii."

"Oh girls, your brother has had a horrible thing happen to him! Masaki, our son has had his heart broken!" wailed Isshin who ran to the giant poster of his deceased wife in the living room.

"Be serious for once you old goat!" yelled Karin.

With that Isshin made his way back to the kitchen table. His face is serious now. "What are you going to do Ichigo?"

Ichigo put his chopsticks down; his food was all gone. "I think I am gonna get away from here. I don't want to face her. I can't face her now." Having said that Ichigo got up from his seat and took his plate to the kitchen sink. Ichigo went to the front door and put his shoes on. "I need to go out and figure things out. See ya later, Karin, Yuzu, old man." Ichigo's family watched him walk out the front door and close it. 'Good-bye mina. I can't stay here anymore.'

Once outside Ichigo took a deep breathe to release the tension in his body. He walked towards the hospital since he had to work today. Sure his shift doesn't start for another hour at 10:00, but he wants to talk to his director about important matters. After Ichigo talked to Unohana-sensei, director of Karakura General Hospital he quickly started his shift, 40 minutes early. Unohana had reluctantly agreed to let Ichigo to transfer to a different hospital of his choosing and leave work earlier today. No one will know where Kurosaki Ichigo-sensei is going. At 16:00 Ichigo left the hospital.

After meeting a few more people he knew, Ichigo headed to the train station. He had said good-bye to some friends, but didn't say where he is going. Ichigo also returned his apartment key to the landlord, a mysterious man named Urahara Kisuke. Since it is 19:00 the streets are crowded with many people getting off work and out for errand or pleasure. Walking through the streets of Karakura, many memories flashed through Ichigo's mind. Happy, colorful, even painful memories of time spent with friends, family, and _her_. Yesterday's memories went through Ichigo's head again. The pain and betrayal is still fresh.

When Ichigo arrives at the station he buys a ticket from the machine. He puts the ticket in the slot and walks through the turnstile. The young doctor walks onto the platform and waits for the Shinkansen with many others. At 19:25 the train pulls into the station. The travelers waiting on the platform watch the people getting off the train before climbing on board. Ichigo got on one of the middle cars, along with many other people. He sits near the exit, next to the window.

As the Shinkansen pulls out of the station, Ichigo pulls out his phone. Scrolling to his girlfri-ex-girlfriend's number, he stares at it for awhile. Memories of their time together plays through his head again. The pain in his chest rises and falls with each memory and breathe. As the train speeds along, Ichigo's world fades to grey. The colors in his world are hidden.

'Sayonara, Rukia.'


End file.
